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National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

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Species Lithophane abita - Hodges#9928.1

Representative Images

Lithophane sp. - Lithophane abita Lithophane sp. - Lithophane abita Lithophane abita Lithophane abita A worn Lithophane abita - Lithophane abita Green Caterpillar sp.? - Lithophane abita Lithophane abita Lithophane abita
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
Subfamily Noctuinae (Cutworm or Dart Moths)
Tribe Xylenini
Subtribe Xylenina
Genus Lithophane (Pinions)
Species abita (Lithophane abita - Hodges#9928.1)

Hodges Number

9928.1

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Lithophane abita Brou & Lafontaine, 2009 (1)
Phylogenetic sequence # 932555

Explanation of Names

Species name is taken from the type location, a few miles from Abita Springs LA.

Identification

Most conclusively identified by male genitalia

Range

Maryland south to Florida, west to eastern Texas.

Season

Adults fly in Louisiana from late November until late March. Recorded as early as October 17 (MD) to late April (MS, NC).

Food

Larvae feed on Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum).

See Also

L. thaxteri is virtually identical in macroscopic appearance but probably does not overlap in distribution, ranging from New Jersey northwards

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (2)
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (3)

Works Cited

1.A new species of Lithophane (Hbn) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Xyleninae) from southeastern United States
Vernon Antoine Brou Jr., J. Donald Lafontaine. 2009. Zookeys 9: 11-20.
2.North American Moth Photographers Group
3.BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems
Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose on 29 November, 2011 - 9:59pm
Additional contributions by Maury Heiman, Graham M, George Smiley
Last updated 14 November, 2014 - 12:41pm

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